01 Apr 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a catalyst, a state of panic, All Fool's Day, April Fool's day, be attentive, calamitous times, Corona Beer, Coronavirus, damnation, day and night, depart out of thy mouth, disatrous times, do according to all that's written therein, eyes fixed straight ahead, fales information, forgiveness, glad to be alive, God's standard, halfway home, hands on the plough, have good success, hellfire, Higher Power, hope, I wait for the Lord, in his word do I hope, iniquities, let thine ears, Lord hear my voice, loving kindness, make thy way prosperous, mark iniquities, meditate on it, mercy, misdirection, my soul doth wait, not looking back, outright lies, perseverance, prayer, procision for our iniquities, redeem israel, redemption, righteousness., Scrip-Bits, social media, stay strong in the word, supplication, thanskgiving, the breath of life, the fountainhead of hope, the nature of the human animal, the word of the Lord, this book of the law, to a glorious future with Jesus, to the voice of my supplications, urgent needs, Wednesday Wail, who shall stand
Psalm 130:5. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
Moving right along…It’s April 1, 2020 – April Fools Day, or as we know it down South- All Fools Day! A day for jokes and hijinks. But not today. No! Please, not this day in the year of 2020! This is a time for very serious behaviour, although we do need some levity in our spirits and souls if we don’t want to go crazy. However, we already have so much false info and misdirection and outright lies in our society, mostly funneled through social media, we definitely don’t want to introduce anymore today, when half the world is locked down and in a state of panic because of the Coronavirus.
And on a point of interest, in Canada it seems that people are still drinking Corona beer, whilst it’s unavailable in some other places. That just shows how ignorant and/or superstitious we humans are. Just because the brand of beer happens to have the same name as a deadly virus doesn’t mean that it’s undrinkable or in any way connected to it. But that’s the nature of the human animal. (smile) And as always friends, we here at Scrip-Bits believe in acting as catalysts, to help us stay strong in the Word of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to give us hope, help us stay imprisoned by it, because without hope, we might as well be dead; in fact without hope, spiritually, we are indeed dead.
So today, let’s latch on tightly to the hope infusing words of Psalm 130 – My soul waiteth for the Lord. Yes my brethren, the Lord and His awesome and everlasting Word, which never changes or dies, is indeed the fountainhead of hope! And right now in these scary and frightening times, we need divine hope and help more than ever. So let’s pray with the psalmist nuh: ‘Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?’ (Ps. 130:1-3)
Now that’s a very good question my people. If the Lord should take note of all our iniquities and punish us for them, who shall stand afterwards eh? None of us! ‘For all have sinned and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23) Oh yes, we’ve fallen far short of God’s righteousness, as the scholars explain: ‘3:23. For all have sinned: The human need and the divine provision are alike applied universally. Come short of the glory of God: man can exceed his own standards, but never, left to himself, can he attain to God’s standard of righteousness.’
And nobody knows this better than our Creator, who made us with all our faults and frailties, and that’s why in His eternal wisdom and divine mercy and LOVING-kindness, He’s made ample provision for our iniquities. As the psalmist continues: ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (held in reverential awe).’ (Ps. 130:4) Oh friends, how mighty and wonderful is the word ‘forgiveness’ and all that it implies! For without it, we would have no hope at all. That’s the divine option that gives us hope! All the other things like LOVE, mercy, and grace are indeed important, but without forgiveness we’d still be in the same khaki pants; lost and doomed to damnation and hell-fire!
And how do we access these essential things called hope and forgiveness. It begins, like the psalmist says: ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.’ Now that’s the first movement in the divine symphony; patience (perseverance) and trust in His Word. But how do we get patience and trust in God’s word eh? By knowing it; hearing it, reading and studying it. Remember the immortal words of God to Joshua when He appointed him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) The Lord couldn’t have been any plainer or more explicit than that my people. It’s by reading and studying His Word and doing what’s written in there that we can achieve prosperous and successful lives! So in these uncertain and disastrous times, it’s plain to see that we have to get into God’s Word more than ever, and do what it says we ought to.
As the psalmist continues: ‘My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.’ (Ps. 130:6) Yes friends, he is hungry for the Lord! And that’s how we have to be also, especially in these calamitous times, for the Lord God Almighty, the One who created us, is the ONLY One who can truly save us! Thus the psalmist concludes: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:7-8)
Oh my fellow believers, it is imperative that we turn to the Lord God Jehovah and cry out to Him for deliverance if we truly want to get rid of this Covid-19 scourge that’s currently plaguing the earth. Remember, as the scholars said above, in his own strength, man can never achieve the righteousness of God, and that also extends to his wisdom and ingenuity. Therefore, since we can’t find the answer to our problem, we need to go to a Higher Power; the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s where we will find ALL the answers!
And now, for those of us who truly believe that and sincerely try to adhere God’s Word, let’s go home joyfully declaring (yeahhh!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our enviable position in Christ Jesus. In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And yes, my faithful brethren, regardless of what’s happening in our world today, we who sincerely believe and try to do God’s Will, will indeed have a glorious future with Jesus; one, more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…prayer and supplication…perseverance and thanksgiving…our most urgent needs at this time…
08 Feb 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guidebook, a touchy subject, aspires to inspire, be not afraid, be strong, Book of the Law, daily traffic problems, day and night, depart out of thy mouth, do all that's written therein, for a better tomorrow, goes with you everywhere, gospel truth, have good success, hypocrites, infallibility, lasting success, leadership, life is really simple, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein, mental incompetence, of a good courage, our friend Anselm, social stigma, sunny Saturday morning, the Lord your God, the Lord's plan, the word of the Lord, to successful earthly living, unfriendly attitudes, we make it complicated, what other people think, what we are, winter
Joshua 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) your mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for them thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Welcome to a bright and sunny Saturday morning friends! It’s somewhat on the chilly side though, and the banks are full of snow. But that’s to be expected since it’s winter in the northern climes. And I guess a lot of us are sleeping in this morning after a tiring week of labour…and some of us might say not of labour but of navigating the daily traffic problems, especially with the snowfall we’ve had this past week.
Yes, there are just too many cars on the roads especially during the morning and afternoon commutes. But you wouldn’t like to see the amount of cars that are parked in the train station lots; several thousands. When I travel on the train and see them sitting in the parking lots, I can just imagine the chaos and traffic problems we’d have if they all hit the road morning and evening too.
Phew! But today is Saturday, we don’t have to contend with work and traffic, so instead, let’s focus on the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week nuh, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And I like this first one: ‘Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.’ And is that ever so true! Possibly because of our high level of intelligence, we seem to think that unless something is complicated it’s no good. Thus we introduce stuff into stuff that’s not necessary.
Think about all the rules and regulations we have in life…I’m sure we could do without half of them if we were only better neighbours and friends, and could be depended upon to do the right thing at least 8 out of 10 times. But because we aren’t, provision has to be made for our ‘unneighbourly’ and unfriendly attitudes. (smile) So for each rule we introduce, there must be several provisos to explain and counteract it. Steups!
This next quote is also of mucho importance: ‘What we really are matters more than what other people think of us.’ Now that’s gospel truth! But sadly too many of us don’t understand or believe it, and thus allow what others think of us to control and ofttimes spoil our lives. We give it names like social pressure or social stigma, doing what the supposedly higher ups, or our social betters want or expect us to do. Chuh!
Oh friends, please have faith in yourselves and your God! He made you to be who you are, in His image, with His plan for your life, not for another human’s! And the usual corollary to situations like those is that the ones who are so critical of others, are worse than those they criticize, do worse than them in the same circumstances. In other words they are just a bunch of blooming hypocrites!
Thank the Lord I learned that at a tender age from watching people criticize my mother, then discovering they were a whole lot worse than her! Friends, please don’t live your lives because of what others say or do. The Lord has a plan for you, find out what it is, and then live accordingly.
Then there’s this interesting quote: ‘The topic of leadership is a touchy one. A lot of leaders fail because they don’t have the bravery to touch that nerve or strike that chord. Throughout my years, I haven’t had that fear.’ Good for our friend Anselm if he’s referring to himself! (smile) But that’s basically true because leaders are the ones who take us usually where we’ve never gone before, and to do that they must have a special something, call it bravery, common sense, wisdom, a dream, a vision, or all of them.
Now it could even include stupidity or mental incompetence, which means leading their followers astray. Think about all the sects that have populated our world because of such leaders. But what makes a leader -good or bad – is that belief in themselves, that feeling of infallibility, which causes others to even give their lives in their service. And this next quote doesn’t only pertain to leaders but to all of us. ‘If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail.’
Yes my people, the active ingredient in our mind and spirit is the one we usually bring forth. So if fear is the dominant attitude, then most likely we will bring forth failure. That’s not to say that we won’t or can’t fail if we think success. The difference though is the amount of energy and faith we put into our projects when we think positively and of success, as compared to the negative side of failure.
And this last quote says it all: ‘Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.’ Glory be mih people! You won’t ever be successful unless you make the necessary preparations for it! That’s because success doesn’t come without certain preparations, like thinking positively about it and putting in the necessary hard work it calls for. And I guess the best advice I can give on the subject is found in the words of the Lord God Himself to his servant Joshua when He appointed him leader of the Israelites.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) your mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for them thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’
Oh my fellow believers it couldn’t get any more straightforward and plain than that! Meditating on the Lord’s Word and following it, is what brings true, real and lasting success. Supposed success gained by any other method is ephemeral and not lasting. And our God is such a wonderful Leader and encourager, I just LOVE His next words to Joshua. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:9)
Yes friends, those same words of the Lord echo down to us today as we face the difficulties and calamities of this troubled world. That was the third time in four verses that He was reminding Joshua to be strong and courageous because his omnipotent, merciful, LOVING and gracious God would go with him wherever he went. Let’s accept that most encouraging and reassuring message to day like Joshua did back then nuh my brethren, and go out and do the work the Lord’s prescribed for us, the same way Joshua went forward with bravery and courage and did his duty. Much LOVE!
…the Word of the Lord…it’s the guidebook to….successful earthly living…
21 Jul 2019
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a flame of fire, a joyful jurney, a name written, a temple of praise, Alpha, clothed in fine linen, confidence, dipped in blood, dry bones, faithful and true, fellowship, hath on his vesture, hear his holy word, His spoken word, judgement, King of Kings, labourers in your vineyard, lift up your heads, living God, Lord of Lords, most important day, no God like Jehovah, Omega, on his thigh, out of Zion's hill, praise and worship, prepare ye the way, righteousness., robe, Robin Mark, rod of iron, saints of Christ, salvation, Selah, shining like the sun, show our gratitude, smite the nations, soften our hearts, the Days of Elijah, the first, the Good Book, the house of the Lord, the king of glory, the last, the Lord of hosts, the Lord's Day, the raptured church, the trumpet call, the word of the Lord, the year of jubilee, universal sovereignty, vitality, winepress
Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture (robe) and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
That day friends, the most important day of the week, the Lord’s Day, Sunday, it’s here! And we all know what that means: a joyful journey to the house of the Lord to praise and worship Him, to fellowship with other believers, to hear His Holy Word, and be refreshed and renewed with His strength, confidence and vitality to keep on fighting the good fight in which we’re engaged. And as always, we begin the day’s proceedings with a song of praise and thanksgiving, both to show our gratitude and to soften up our hard hearts, so we can receive His Word with more effectiveness.
And today’s song is the well known and popular one titled ‘The Days of Elijah. (No God Like Jehovah).’ It was supposedly written by one ‘Robin Mark a Northern Irish Christian singer, songwriter, worship leader, and recording artist based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Mark has written several songs sung throughout the world. He is best known for his songs “Days of Elijah”, “Revival”, “All for Jesus”, “The Wonder of The Cross”, “Not by Might”’ So let’s get into those Days of Elijah nuh, in a rocking, up-tempo, yet with a soulful feeling.
All together now: ‘These are the days of Elijah, Declaring the word of the Lord And these are the days of Your servant Moses, Righteousness being restored. And though these are days of great trial, Of famine and darkness and sword, Still, we are the voice in the desert crying “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!” (Chorus: Behold He comes riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun at the trumpet call, Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee, And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.)
These are the days of Ezekiel, The dry bones becoming as flesh, And these are the days of Your servant David, Rebuilding a temple of praise. These are the days of the harvest, The fields are as white in Your world, And we are the labourers in Your vineyard, Declaring the word of the Lord! (Chorus: Behold He comes riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun at the trumpet call, Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee, And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.
Oh, there’s no God like Jehovah, there’s no God like Jehovah; Yes there’s no God like Jehovah; there’s no God like Jehovah; there’s no God like Jehovah! Believe me, There’s no God like Jehovah; There’s no God like Jehovah! (Chorus: Behold He comes riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun at the trumpet call, Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee, And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes. (Repeat)’
What a rocking tune, filled with loads of truth! And we certainly did it justice! All heaven was rocking along with us! Wow! When you can get heaven to rock with you, you must be singing good! (smile) Ah mih people, though our world is in a sad and miserable state, filled with all kinds of disasters, poverty, sickness, strife and dissension, of great trials, we’re still hear declaring (steups!) the Word of the Lord. And we’re gladly looking forward to the next coming of Jesus, hearing that heavenly trump sound the good news, and see Him coming in the clouds on His magnificent white steed… ‘shining like the sun!’ What a wonderful day that will be!
And John, the Revelator saw it all in his vision. ‘And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed in a vesture (robe) dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture (robe) and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ (Rev.19:11-16).
Yes friends, that’s how it’s going to be when Christ comes back for the last time to rule with and iron fist for one thousand years! And just a few explanations from the scholars. ‘19:14-16. The armies may be (1) angels (cf. Zech.14:5; Matt.26:53); (2) the raptured church or (3) all the inhabitants of heavenly Jerusalem: angels, the church, and spirits of the Old Testament and Tribulation saints (cf. Heb.12:22-24) They will share in Christ’s victory and glory (cf. Rom.8:18-19). The linen symbolizes righteousness (cf. v.8). The sword from His mouth depicts judgement through His spoken Word (cf.1:16; 2:12, 16; Is. 11:4; 2 Thess. 2:8).
Smite the nations: Christ will destroy all unbelievers (cf. 19:21; Matt.25:41, 46; 2 Thess.1:8-9). Rod of iron: Christ will subject all nations to Himself, and destroy all His enemies (cf. Ps.2:8-9; 1 Cor.15:24-25). Winepress: See 14:17-20. Words relating to wrath and anger are found 15 times in Revelation. KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS: Christ has universal sovereignty. He is King over all who call themselves kings, and Lord over all who call themselves lords (cf.17:14; Deut.10:17. Dan.2:47; 1 Tim.6:15).’
Ah friends, lots of explanations and scriptures for you to check out. (smile) But I thought it important to give you the info so that you will be better able to understand what the Good Book is talking about. And that’s the magnificent ending we have to look forward to once we stand strong and endure the race. So please, let’s all remember, and write it indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, that there’s No God like our Jehovah!
As Bruh David said so long ago: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers)…So Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.’ (Ps.24:1-2; 9-10). That says it all! So please have a blessed Sunday my fellow saints in Christ, as you ponder and ruminate on all that we’ve said! (smile) Much LOVE!
…JEHOVAH…the One, True, Living God…the Alpha and Omega…the First and the Last…
22 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a busy week, a hundredfold, answer for our words and deeds, bear much fruit, boundary lines, brought forth fruit, burgers, compromising, cook on the grill, create havoc, drinking something cold, earthly lives, electronic gadgets, faith, faithfulness, fateful day, fearful stuff, fell upon stony places, fellowship, finally spring, firmly planted, fowls devoured them, Friday chant, fruit fo the Spirit, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, gentleness, getting me through another week, goodness, had no root, he who hath ears to hear, hypocritically, immediately sprung up, in Jesus name, joy, judgement day, kindness, let him hear, let our guards down, lock up whole winter, lolling on the deck, long-suffering, lose our joy, LOVE, March break, meekness, my time, no deepness of earth, other fell into good ground, outside in shirtsleeves, parable of the sower, party, peace, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, rooted in his soul, scorched, seeds fell by the wayside, self-control, sixtyfold, steaks, temperance, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the enemy, the word of the Lord, thirtyfold, thou good and faithful servant, too far apart, video games, weekends, welcome, welcoming words, wisdom, wishy-washy, withered away, workingman's song
Matthew 13:8-9. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Well at last it’s Friday! And many tired but grateful sighs emanate from many tired lungs and bodies, especially those who returned right at the last minute from the March Break and had no time to rest before heading back out to work on Monday. It’s a cruel world friends, a mighty cruel world, especially if you don’t have Jesus as your Lord and Leader.
Yeh, Christians have it hard too, but they have the internal peace and LOVE that Jesus brings to the hearts and souls of His followers, and thus we are able to handle the cruel world with much more sense and sensibility (smile) than the unbeliever. So if you want to be able to handle this cruel world with greater confidence, then the answer is JESUS! Give Him some much deserved thanks and praise my fellow believers!
But since it’s Friday, the workingman is also waiting in the wings to sing his Friday song. So let’s hear what gems of wisdom on life, that he has to offer us today. And he shouts out his usual opening: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! It’s been a busy week…but the weather’s not been bad! And yes, it’s finally spring! So we’ll soon be outside in shirtsleeves and such, barbecuing, lolling on the deck drinking something cold and waiting for the burgers and steaks to cook on the grill!
Wow! Yuh believe it? Springtime is here once again…and then it will be summer! Chuh! Gway with this winter business yes! Time to get the children and them outa the house too, where they lock up whole winter playing foolish video games. Children suppose to be outside playing, be it rain, snow or shine!
But sadly not these modern-day ones who have so much electronic gadgets to play with. Some of them don’t even know what outside looks like nuh! But I not going to kill mihself over them nuh, I know what I like to do and I’m going to do it, especially when it comes to the weekend – party, party, party! Mama Yo! That’s my time! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, the workingman does make some good points in his weekly song, but it’s just that it’s usually too far over the edge, too far out on the limb for us believers in Jesus Christ! The boundary lines are set too wide apart, too much freedom to wander into the evil world, when Jesus desires His people to follow the narrow but safe path that leads to and through Him to eternal life.
Consequently, our Friday Chant differs a lot from the workingman’s song. So let’s chant our Friday Chant now with just as much enthusiasm as the workingman had in his song nuh. (smile) Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes friends, believers are also entitled to fun, to a natural enjoyment in Christ, but we cannot let out guards down, for as soon as we do, the enemy will just jump in there and try to create havoc in our lives. Remember that’s his main aim; to disrupt our lives in Jesus! And we can’t afford to let him do that, otherwise we’ll lose all our joy and peace and become even more miserable than the unbeliever. And believe me, there’s nobody as miserable as a miserable believer! (smile)
That’s why we need to remember Jesus’ parable about the sower and keep it first place in our minds. ‘Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith (immediately) they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
And when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt.13:3-9)
Yeh friends, he who has ears to hear let him hear! Let him hear the Word of the Lord, and let it be firmly planted and rooted in his soul, so that neither thorns, nor the sun nor the fowls of the air can uproot or scorch it, and thus it will bear much fruit in their lives.
Oh how Jesus desires us to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our earthly lives so that we can teach others about Him, but more importantly live the life we preach, that we’re currently so good at talking about but unfortunately living it very hypocritically.
Ah my fellow believers, if we’d only seriously read, study and meditate on God’s Word, so that it becomes deeply rooted in our hearts, then we’d be more likely to produce things like LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), meekness and temperance (self-control), which make up the basic fruit of the Spirit! (Gal.6:22-23)
Now that’s what the world needs to see from believers! Not the wishy-washy, compromising, fearful stuff we’re currently showing them!
Remember though friends, that each of us will have to answer individually for our words and deeds come the judgement day, so please let’s try our best to do what is right, to run a worthy and worthwhile race, so that when that fateful day comes, the Lord will embrace us and joyfully say: ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant!’
Friends, there are no better welcoming words than those, so let’s live the kind of life that will cause the Lord to eventually say them to us nuh. That’s wisdom of untold proportions! Much LOVE!
…only with the Word…deeply rooted in our souls…can we produce…the fruit of the Spirit…
17 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a draft of air, a glorious future with Jesus, a long road, a longing ache, a perfect heart, a terrific boss, bitterly, bursting with thnaksgiving, captain of my people, colourful sails, deity, dog days, doldrums, eagles, enjoy it, faithfulness, Father of all creation, fifteen years, generously rewards, glory, Glory Halleujah, good in thy sight, grace, gratitude, greatly deserves it, halfway home, heal thee, hearing the surf, heart and soul, Hezekiah, honour, in truth, iron birds, Isaiah, Jamaica, joy, king of Judah, Land of Wood and Water, laughter, loving kindness, mercy, Most High God Jehovah, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, never miss the water, not turning back, obedient to God's will, out of danger, planes, praise, profuse praise, promise, Sea Breeze, set thine house in order, sickness, tears of joy, the breath of life, the captain of my people, the Lord of hosts, the word of the Lord, thy prayer, till the well run dry, unto death, unto thy days, walked before thee, we will follow the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wept sore, Xaymaca, zeppo
2 Kings 6:a. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years…
All praise and honour, glory and exaltation to the Most High God Jehovah, the Lord of hosts, the Great I AM, the Father of ALL Creation! Please give Him much thanks and praise, because He greatly deserves it! He is indeed most worthy of all our thanksgiving! Praise His Holy Name!
And if you’re wondering why such profuse praise to Almighty God at the beginning of the Bit…well it’s simple: My heart and soul are just bursting with thanksgiving and gratitude, because once again He has shown His amazing faithfulness in my life. Yes friends, during the dog days, the doldrums of my illness, I would lie in my bed and hear and see the planes going by in the distance like eagles gliding along on a draft of air, and my heart would just fill with a longing ache to board one of those iron birds and just fly away to some exotic destination.
But yuh know what mih people? In those sad, sick and frustrating times, the Lord would gather me in His Ever-LOVING arms and comfort me with the promise that one day soon, I would fly away on an iron bird to an exotic destination. And friends, in all faithfulness, through His exceeding grace, mercy and LOVING-kindness, the Lord has kept His awesome promise. And that’s why my inner being is just bursting with joy and thanksgiving, and tears of joy are filling my eyes and flowing down my cheeks.
Oh mih people, the ole fella is in J.A, Jamaica; in Xaymaca, the land of wood and water…and beautiful women! Seen quite a few already! (smile) Glory be to the Most High God Jehovah! And the sea, sand, salt, sun…and rum are most excellent, just as the Lord promised! Had a colourful, red, green and blue shark-bite cocktail last night. (smile) How can I therefore not LOVE Him and proclaim His awesome name eh?
Oh my faithful believers, our God is indeed a most wonderful Deity, a terrific Boss, a hard taskmaster who expects diligence and excellence from us, but who also generously rewards us when we are obedient to His Holy Will! Praise His name my people, for there’s no other like Him!
And now, as I write this, feeling the cool sea breeze float through the open door, hearing the surf break upon the sand and see the small boats with their colorful, blue, yellow and green sails, and hear the laughter of other travellers down below, I can’t help but realize how blessed I am! Glory to God!
And as I just read this over, tears again filled my eyes. It’s been a long road my brethren, almost two years of sickness…and not completely out of danger yet. I was so close to going home to Him, but He gave me a reprieve, for which I am everlastingly grateful! As they say here in J.A: ‘yuh never miss the water until the well run dry!’ In my case I was blessed that my well had not run completely dry. So friends, let me seek for a scripture that will admirably fit our Bit today. Soon come!
Oh friends, it didn’t take long. Before I could even open the Good Book the zeppo came; the sickness of Hezekiah, king of Judah. The Good Book says: ‘In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz came to him and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore (bitterly).
And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came again to him, saying, Turn again and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years…’ (2 Kin.20:1-6a)
Oh friends, I don’t know if I can compare my sorrow and weeping and goodness to Hezekiah’s nuh, but I do know that there was a lot of prayer and some tears. And the Lord in His mercy saw fit to grant me some more time here on earth. I don’t know if it’s fifteen years, or more, or less, but I do know that however much it is, I will enjoy it, and will praise and exalt His Holy name as much as I can, because He has been so good to me and mine. Glory be people!
When someone is good to us, we tell and show them thanks, so why not to our Maker and God eh? And I know that I’m not the only one so blessed, so why aren’t we praising and thanking our Saviour much more than we are eh? I don’t know the answer nuh, but it’s time to go home, so let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if Jesus promised that it will be glorious, then I know it will be so indeed! Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we WILL follow the LORD…no doubt about that…
P.S. Sorry that it’s so late, but I was really tired after the long journey…no longer accustomed to it (smile) and I just got the necessary energy to set up my stuff. And as always, when I’m on vacation, I can’t guarantee what time the Bit will go out, (smile) but you will get it. Much LOVE! Time for the beach now!
18 Mar 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a decree, a full moon, a full tank, a glow of wamth, a golden sunset, above the earth and heaven, all creatures, all things, All things bright and beautiful, birds singing, children, Christians, come together, confidence, enthusiasm, exalt, faith, fellowship, fire, flying fowl, gospel truth, gratitude, great and small, hail, handiwork, he commanded, heavens, hope, joy, LOVE, maidens, old men, peace, persistence, praise, praise the name of the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, refresh our souls and spirits, ripe fruits, saints, snow, spiritual touch, sprinkle the night sky, stars, sun, sweet songs of thanks, tenderness, the beauty of nature, the breath of his mouth, the Lord made them all, the Lord's sanctuary, the Lord's Word, the rushes by the water, the strength of his people, the word of the Lord, they were created, waters, wise and wonderful, work diligently, worship, young mne
Psalm 148:5. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded and they were created.
Seven days have passed friends, since we last visited the Lord’s sanctuary to refresh our souls and spirits. That means we are due for a refuelling today.
So let’s all come together, gather in the Lord’s house and fellowship with enthusiasm, hope, faith, praise and worship, while He replenishes, with His word and spiritual touch, the faith we’ve used up this past week. That will enable us to go back out and work diligently and sincerely on His behalf, with a full tank of joy, LOVE, confidence, persistence and peace.
And all of God’s children declared a loud and thankful: ‘Glory to God for His LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men!’ And how right we are, to give God the glory for all the magnanimous and magnificent things He’s done for us.
Now, as always, let’s begin our praise and worship with a favourite old hymn titled ‘All things bright and beautiful.’ It was written by Cecil F. Alexander around 1848. And does it ever celebrate the Lord and His creations in nature. So let’s belt it our now through lips lined with sacrificial praise and hearts filled with enormous LOVE and gratitude to our Maker.
‘(Refrain: All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.) Each little flow’r that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings. (Refrain)
The purple-headed mountains, The river running by, The sunset and the morning That brightens up the sky.(Refrain)
The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun, The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one. (Refrain) The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water, To gather every day.(Refrain)
He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well. All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.’
Yeh friends, ALL the beauty we enjoy in nature was made by our heavenly Father, for our enjoyment. Unfortunately though, many of us, including Christians, don’t seem to appreciate the wonder and beauty of nature.
What can be more beautiful than a golden sunset; a full moon in full glow while stars sprinkle the night sky, or birds singing sweet songs of thanks in the early morning hours as they rise and give praise to their creator.
Chuh! But we, the most important of God’s creation find it difficult, or even impossible to thank Him for His fatherly goodness and the beauty He’s created to enliven our earthly lives.
Now we’re going to spend the rest of this message giving Him some of the praise He so worthily deserves. And we’ll begin with Psalm 148 – All creation to praise the Lord – from which our Bit is taken. ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah): Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.’ (Ps.148:1-5)
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! The Lord commanded everything to be made that was made! Therefore everything that was made, especially man, ought to be constantly singing His praises and admiring His handiwork. And He even went a step further than just creating them: ‘He hath also stablished (established) them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall never pass.’ (Ps.148:6) Glory to God friends!
Nothing God has made shall pass away unless He wills it. Therefore ‘Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps (sea creatures): Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent (exalted); his glory is above the earth and heaven.
He also exalteth the horn (strength) of his people, the praise of all of his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah)’ (Ps.148:7-14)
Oh my people, how awesome is our God eh! I can’t understand why we refuse to exalt and glorify Him the way we should. But this Sunday morning, as we gather to worship Him, let’s begin changing that nuh. Let’s raise up our voices and our hearts in gratitude and tenderness and LOVE and exaltation, so that He can know that we truly appreciate Him and bring a beautiful smile to His face and a glow of warmth to His heart! Much LOVE!
…by the word of the Lord…were the heavens made…and all the hosts of them…by the breath of his mouth… (Ps.33:6)
18 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, all things are possible, baptized, believe, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, believing in God, blessings, Christians, compassionate heart, compelling narative, complex, courage, creativity, curse, faith, family, favour, fear, follower of Christ, friends, God is with us, greetings, guidance, health, heartaches, heavenly Father, hope, insights, jailer, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, key to everything, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, mercies, miracle, Most High God, negative word, pain, privilege of calling on God, promotion, prosper, put your faith in God, ready to receive Christ, reconciled, rejoiced, respond positively, rocket science, run roughshod, sacrifice, salutations, set our sights, simple, sinners, stripes, succeed, success, take the fear out of living, talent, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Good Book, the living God, the state of our hearts, the word of the Lord, there is hope, Thursday Blessings, too good to be true, walk sincerely, while there is life, wisdom, with God, withstand adversity
Acts 16:31, And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (household).
Greetings and salutations friends, this Thursday morning from our heavenly father, the Most High God, Jehovah! He sends His great LOVE and new mercies so that we can handle this day successfully, if we walk sincerely with Him. That is the key to everything; walking sincerely in His will.
And I want to let us know that God is with us, the same way He was with Jesus Christ when He was here on earth, so we have the wonderful privilege of calling on Him as Jesus did. Glory be my people! And it doesn’t make sense having the privilege if we don’t use it.
So let’s set our sights to call on God, at anytime, anywhere, and for everything, because that’s what He expects of us. He wants to be involved in each and every aspect of our lives, so please don’t keep Him out of anything, even the simplest aspect of our daily living, otherwise we could be in danger of losing wonderful insights, guidance and blessings.
That’s why the Daily Bread devotional thought tells us: ‘To take the fear out of living, put your faith in the living God.’ Truth of enormous proportions my brethren! For it’s only faith that conquers fear! The world expects us to be fearful, but our God desires us to be faithful! Which are we going to chose eh?
Fear is easy, you just kowtow, give in to it and let it run roughshod over your life. Faith however calls for us to be strong, to withstand adversity, even when times look extremely bad. It calls for pain and sacrifice, even when we don’t seem to have any more breath left in our bodies. Faith says, while there is hope there is life, and with God ALL things are possible!
And that’s what we are called to as Christians; being strong and steadfast in our belief and living for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who sacrificed His only Son Jesus Christ, so that we abominable sinners could be reconciled to Him. No other faith has such a simple but moving and compelling narrative. That’s why some people think it is too good to be true. But true it is my brethren! And there’s no rocket science involved.
That’s why when Paul and Silas prayed and the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and the prison keeper went to kill himself, thinking that all the prisoners had escaped, Bruh Paul warned him. ‘Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang (ran) in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas.
And brought them out, and said, sirs. What must I do to be saved? ‘And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (household).’ (Acts 16:28-31)
Yeh friends, that’s how simple it is. Believe, only believe in Christ and you shall be saved! It couldn’t get any simpler than that. But us complex humans think that anything so simple is of no use. Sometimes that might be right, but in this case it is definitely wrong.
And the Good Book continues after our Bit. ‘And they spoke unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat (food) before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.’ (Acts 16:31:34)
Yuh see how it easy it is to be saved friends. But it all depends on the state of our hearts; whether we’re ready to receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour or not. Obviously the jailer and his family were ready, especially after seeing the miracle that God had wrought; the jail doors being suddenly opened, and yet no one escaping. But in general, we should not look for miracles before we believe.
When the Lord calls us we should respond positively, don’t try to fight it. And I can tell you from personal experience, that when you try to fight God, or ignore Him, your life just gets harder and more miserable. I did that when He first suggested the writing of the Bit. But when He wants you, He doesn’t give up. So it’s to your advantage, when He first calls to answer, ‘Yes Lord. Right away!’ You’ll save your self some heartaches.
And yuh know what? When we truly believe, we are inordinately blessed. Let’s now declare our Thursday Blessings, enthusiastically letting the world know how wonderful it is to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. As one now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Yeh mih breddren, that’s what you have to look forward to when you put your trust and faith in Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…put not your trust in humans…but in the One who first created the world…then saved it…
12 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man's heart plans his way, a new song, a shout of joy, a song of praise, adversity, assuring, be joyful in adversity, beloved of God, blessed is that man, breaking down, bright sunshine, Christians, circumstances of our lives, create a new reason, disaster, enthusiasm, events, ever-faithful ever-loving God, exaltation, fear, forgiveness, forgiving, friend jesus, friends, glory hallelujah, graceful, heavenly Father, help, in my mouth, LOVE, makes the Lord his trust, making melody, merciful, my hiding place, neighbours, not my will but thine, omnipotent, One Year Book of Bible promises, our faith is growing stronger, our hearts becoming more godly, praise, praise unto our God, prayers, Rejoice in the Lord, relatives, remember them in our prayers, respects not the proud, righteousness, rough times, Ruth Harms Calkin, scheming, share His love, sing songs, singing, singing the praises of God, songs in the night, songs of deliverance, sorrow, staunchly convinced, surrender to God's will, surround me, the Caribbean, the Lord directs his steps, the sun and Son are shining, the word of the Lord, times of pain, trust in the Lord, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn aside to lies, uplifting words, watches over us, Why, without a reason
Psalm 40:3. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
Oh friends, I went outside just now and the bright sunshine almost blinded me. Wow! What a day it is when both the sun and the Son are shining in all their splendour!
It’s just too bad that so many of our friends, relatives and neighbours to the south and in the Caribbean can’t enjoy the day like we can.
Please my brethren, let’s remember them in our prayers, and help them in any other way that we can, for we know not when our turn for disaster will come, and then we will need the prayers and help of others just as badly.
Now let’s hear some assuring and uplifting words from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s simply titled ‘WHY?’
Please declare with me: ‘I’m singing today In the midst of adversity – Singing without reason for song. Lord, do You want to know why? Simply because I’m staunchly convinced That as I continue my songs in the night You’ll create a new reason for singing.’
Glory Hallelujah my fellow believers! Only we Christians can sing songs and be joyful in the midst of adversity because we know that we have an ever-faithful and ever-LOVING God who watches over us and brings us joy even in the times of pain and sorrow!
Imagine that nuh! Yeh friends, when we can sing without any specific reason then it means that our faith is growing stronger, our hearts are becoming more godly, as we surrender to God’s holy will and simply say: ‘Not my will Lord, but thine.’
It won’t be easy, but hopefully many of our fellow believers who have recently suffered or are currently suffering adversity will have that attitude, because it’s the only one that will get us through those rough times without us completely breaking down.
And the verse of scripture associated with our poem is also our Bit; those wonderful words of Bruh David from Psalm 40 – Praise for answered prayer, which we all know and LOVE.
‘And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.’
Oh my brethren, isn’t it awesome when God puts a new song of praise in our hearts and we sing it with great enthusiasm and exaltation of His holy name? There is nothing as moving and uplifting as singing the praises of our omnipotent, graceful, forgiving and merciful heavenly Father.
And as Bruh David continues: ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps.40:4) Yeh friends, it only makes sense to put our complete trust and faith in the ONE who created us and still controls ALL the events and circumstances of our lives.
What did Cousin Sol say on that topic? ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov.16:9)
Ah mih breddren, when will we ever learn that eh? We can make all the plans we want, but it’s the Lord’s will that will eventually prevail. As the scholars so clearly put it. ‘16:9. The Lord is sovereign over man’s scheming and planning.’ Truer words were never spoken friends!
And Bruh David so believed in the God of his fathers that he wrote in Psalm 32 – The blessedness of forgiveness. ‘Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass (surround) me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.’ (Ps.32:7)
And in Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for his creation – the psalmist unconditionally proclaims: ‘Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise (a shout of joy). For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He LOVETH righteousness and judgement (justice): the earth is full of the goodness (LOVING-kindness) of the Lord.’ (Ps.33:1-5)
Now my fellow believers, those are words we cannot dispute, so please, let’s write them indelibly in our hearts and minds and do our best to live them out nuh. In that way we will live righteous lives and bring others to Christ.
Now let’s go home sincerely and confidently declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are. ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!
And as true believers, we’ll now go out and put all of that into action, like Jesus desires of us! Much LOVE!
…believers ought to be constantly…singing and making melody in their hearts…to the Lord…
17 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a bow of steel, a compassionate heart, a follower of Jesus Christ, a positive outlook, a rewarder, a rock, abundance, according to your faith, almighty god, another day of life, astray, being one with Jesus, believe that he is, blessings, broken, buckler, care, clear direction, compassion, confidence, confidently, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, earthly work, faith, favour, foolish, foundation, friends, fulfillment, gentleness, glory to God, God's way is perfect, great family, health, held me up, high places, hinds feet, I am helped, I will praise him, impossible to please God, in the name of Jesus, joyfully, lead, living water, LOVE, loves, loving kindness, mercies, ministry, miracles, my heart rejoices, my heart trusts him, my shield, my song, My Utmost for His Highest, negative word, Oswald Chambers, our will, passion, promotion, prosper, proven, right perspective, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, sheep., shield, shield of thy salvation, spirits lifted, strong will, succeed, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, talent, thanksgiving, the Good Book, The Lord is my strength, the One who is leading, the word of the Lord, this is the day the Lord has made, those who diligently seek him, Thursday Blessings, thy right hand, tried, trust, trying times, unfaithful, wandering, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
Psalm 28:7. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Yeah mih people, another bright and sunshiny day seems to be upon us! Glory to God!
In His wisdom and LOVING-kindness, He has granted us another day of life, plus has abundantly showered us with new mercies and new blessings especially prepared for today. Wow! How wonderful is His compassion and care for us!
Thus we can joyfully and confidently declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ And we’d be rather foolish and unfaithful not to enjoy it to its fullest.
Now here is a quote attributed to Oswald Chambers, (1874-1917) the famous Scottish Baptist and Holiness Movement evangelist and teacher of the early 20th century. This comes from his classic of devotional literature ‘My Utmost for His Highest.’
It concerns faith, and says: ‘Faith never knows where it is being led, but it LOVES and knows the One who is leading.’
And is that ever true! For when we become a follower of Jesus Christ, we place our entire will in His hands and allow Him to lead us wherever He wishes. We don’t know exactly where He will lead us, but we do know that he will not lead us astray, and will work it all out eventually for our good, because of our great trust and faith in Him.
He died to save us, so why would He do us harm eh? Yeh friends, following Jesus is the best thing we can do in this mish-mash world!
That’s why Bruh David could have so confidently declared in our Bit: ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.’
That’s the kind of strong confidence we believers need to embrace in these trying times my brethren. Without it, we’d just be lost, like hungry and tired sheep wandering in the wilderness.
However, with the living water of Christ energizing us, we are able to do a whole lot more than we can ever believe or imagine. That’s the beauty of being one with Jesus; our spirits are lifted up, and we become strong and active in ministry to the glory of His holy name. What a purposeful life we live then!
Now let’s hear some scripture that places all of that in the right perspective for us. And it comes from no other than Bruh David, (smile) from His foundational Psalm 118 – Thanksgiving for deliverance.
‘As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all those that trust him. For who is God save (except) the Lord? Or who is a rock save our God?
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds feet (the feet of the deer), and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms (a bow of bronze can be bent).
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden (held) me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.’ (Ps.18:30-35)
Oh friends, what confident faith! Bruh David didn’t know where the Lord was leading him, but he knew that if he hung tight with Him, his life would be successful. He learned that an early age while keeping his father’s sheep in the wilds.
The same applies to us today, my fellow believers. The more trust and faith we have in Almighty God, the greater things we’ll see and achieve! For as the Good Book tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6)
Ah mih breddren, if we don’t have faith, we can’t come to God for great wonders. What did Jesus say to the two blind men before He healed them? ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ (Matt.9:29) Likewise my brethren, according to our faith, so will it be unto us.
Now let’s go home this Thursday declaring our Thursday Blessings nuh. For remember, a blessing is only a blessing when it’s spoken over someone. So with great passion and overwhelming faith let’s declare those wonderful blessings over ourselves.
In unison now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Awright mih people! Now let’s go out and put all of that into action in our lives, behaving the way Jesus desires us, as we diligently do His earthly work with an attitude of excellence, on a solid foundation of true faith. Much LOVE!
…only through faith…can miracles be accomplished in our lives…
18 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new present, a new road, a new wave, a wily God, ambassadors, armory, Babylon, be patient, desires of our hearts, did it with all his heart, diligently work at God's plans, dr robert h schuller, egotism, eunuchs, every work, foundational principle, frustrations, get you out of a rut, give God time, God is good to us, God's timing, gold, gospel truth, he prospered, Hezekiah, idiosyncrasies, impassable, in the commandments, in the law, in the service of God, Isaiah, lonely hearts, LOVE, man-made stuff, mature properly, miracles, misguided world, new love, ointment, over the mountain, personal possessions, precious things, pride, resentments, rush God, scars on sand, share His love, skulduggery, sons, spices, strangers, the beloved of God, the king of Babylon, the powers that be, the truth of God, the word of the Lord, to seek God, treasures, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, use it wisely, vanity, waiting on god, wash away hurts, wisdom
2 Chronicles 31:21. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Well brethren, Monday has gone bye bye; lost forever in the past, so please forget it. But the good news is that we’ve got a new present to replace it from our heavenly Father; Tuesday! Wow! Isn’t God good to us? He surely is!
So what are we going to do with this wonderful present that God has given us eh? I do hope that we will use it wisely; to sincerely seek Him, and to diligently work at the plans He has for our lives; the awesome desires of our hearts that He has implanted there.
Yeh friends, seeking Almighty God and working His plans are the only things that really make sense in this crazy, convoluted and misguided world. That’s what true wisdom is based on, not the trifling man-made stuff that keeps on changing according to the idiosyncrasies of the powers that be.
True wisdom is based on the truth of God, which never changes, for if its true, why should it change eh? Now here is an offshoot of that wisdom as given to us by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional.
He says: ‘Don’t try to rush God. Mountains don’t move overnight. Give God time to work His miracles. I have seen God dissolve resentments, resolve frustrations, fill lonely hearts with new LOVE, and wash away hurts like a new wave washes away scars on sand scratched by children’s sticks.
God can get you out of a rut, onto a new road, and over the mountain that seemed impassable, if you will be patient.’ And that’s gospel truth Friends!
But waiting on God’s timing is also the hardest part of anything we wish to successfully accomplish. However, if we truly want to walk with Him, we have to learn to wait on His impeccable timing. He’s never late; we’re just too impatient! (smile) And we’ll never mature properly until we develop that basic foundational principle of waiting on God.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is very interesting as well as educational. ‘And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.’
Yesterday we saw how king Hezekiah early on, worked God’s plan for his life and was prosperous. However, later on, the Good Book gives us this insight into the machinations of our God.
‘Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try (to test) him, that he might know all that was in his heart.’ (2 Chr.32:31)
Ah mih people, our God is indeed a wily God! He doesn’t just accept our outward actions as gospel, but digs deep into our hearts and souls to discover the true us. And pertaining to the ambassadors above, the Good Book informs us thus.
‘At that time Merodach-baladan (or Barodach-baladan), king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them the house of his precious things (treasures), the silver and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour (his armory), and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? And from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
Then said he (Isaiah), What have they seen in thy house? And Hezekiah answered, All that in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.
Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah. Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
And of thy sons that shall issue (descend) from thee, which thou shall beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good (Just) is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For (at least) there shall be peace and truth in my days.’ (Is.39:1-8) (2 Kin. 12-19)
Ah friends, does that little story where Isaiah foretells the Babylon captivity, speak to us? I surely hope it does, because Hezekiah’s actions re the Babylonian ambassadors, reeks of pride and egotism.
It’s the same way a lot of us behave when virtual strangers come to our houses, not knowing them or their intentions, we take them around showing off our personal possessions. That’s not wise my people, especially in this age of skulduggery, even amongst friends and neighbours.
And the scholars tell us: ‘There is no doubt that all this was done in vanity and pride, which the king would live to regret. Thus Isaiah predicts that all these royal treasures shall be carried to Babylon in the future, because news of these great treasures would spread throughout Babylon, provoking the Babylonians to come and take them away.’
Now friends, yuh see why God left Hezekiah alone to deal with the Babylonian ambassadors? He knew that his heart wasn’t quite right, and his prideful actions proved it, and possibly laid the groundwork for Babylon’s later invasion of Israel.
So a word to wise here; please don’t show ALL your treasures to anyone, for you never know what that might lead to.
Now, having learned that most important lesson, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra with heartfelt sincerity and truth.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if we believe it, let’s go out and put it into action. Much LOVE!
…it never hurts to be careful in our doings…in fact it’s very wise…
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